3 minutes of readingMarch 7, 2026 05:47 pm IST
India will play an ICC tournament final in Ahmedabad for the second time in three years. The last time the team played here they had to deal with heartbreak as they lost to Australia in the World Cup final. Although a different opposition awaits India in the form of New Zealand, the co-hosts have had their fair share of problems faced by the Currucos in the ICC qualifiers in the past. Former Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla believes it is an occasion to control the emotions of the Indian team.
“You just have to go out, control your emotions and express yourself. Because it is very important when there are so many people around and many think that you are going to win the game. You are the favorites, and that tag also creates a bit of pressure,” Chawla told JioStar.
“And the butterflies, if someone says they’re not there, it’s totally wrong. Once you get on the field and the whole crowd is behind you, cheering you on, it motivates you. It’s the same feeling that you have to do something special. And when every player thinks that way, that we have to do something special, the whole team comes together,” he explained.
“It’s not just about the eleven that are playing, even the players that are out and not part of the eleven, even the support staff, when they all come together, it becomes like a brute force,” he said.
Chawla also spoke about Sanju Samson, who played a crucial role against West Indies in the last Super 8 match and also played a beautiful goal against England in the semi-finals. “The game against the West Indies was virtually a quarter-final, and the way Sanju Samson played that innings while chasing 195 in a pressure situation, he made it look so easy. That’s the beauty of his batting. And again, against England, he came in to bat and made sure he hit every ball. We all know that Wankhede brings a lot to the batsmen, so you have to try to turn even the balls that are not there to bat into boundary balls.” Chawla said.